A family secret, concealed for over 50 years, has ignited a multimillion-dollar inheritance battle after a Sydney man convinced a judge that the wealthy fruit farmer he knew as his uncle was, in fact, his biological father.
Peter Pronesti initiated a Supreme Court claim against the estate of the late orchardist Salvatore Napoli, revealing allegations that Napoli fathered him following an encounter his mother later described as non-consensual. Pronesti grew up in western Sydney adjacent to Napoli's Orchard Hills farm in the 1970s, believing Napoli, who went by 'Sam,' was his uncle.
According to Pronesti, his mother, Rosa, disclosed the truth in 2023, more than two decades after Salvatore Napoli's death. She reportedly told him, "I have to get this off my chest before I die. Your Uncle Sam is your father. He raped me. He got me from behind and raped me. This is what happened to me, you can believe it or not."
This revelation allowed Pronesti to assert a claim to an estate that has grown from approximately $1.75 million at the time of Salvatore's death in 2003 to an estimated $28 million today. The estate's value significantly increased due to the soaring land values in Orchard Hills, where the land was later sold to a developer for nearly $72 million.
Peter's sister, Cathy, testified in court that their mother had confessed a similar secret years earlier, revealing a hidden family truth she had carried for decades. The court heard Rosa claimed she became pregnant with Peter after Salvatore coerced her into sex.
Cathy testified that her mother recounted Salvatore driving her to an isolated dirt road near a landfill, threatening to abandon her there, and then sexually assaulting her, which resulted in Peter's conception. Rosa allegedly told her daughter, "When I was working for your Uncle Sam, he would pick me up in the mornings and take me to work on his farm and he would bring me back home in the afternoons. One day, when he was bringing me home, he drove down a dirt road which was a dead end and near a tip. He stopped the car and said that if I didn't give in to him, he would leave me there. I did not know where I was, and I was afraid and so I let him have sex with me. That is how I got pregnant with your brother, Peter."
Rosa also reportedly described another alleged incident: "Your uncle tried again another time. He put his hands on me and when I screamed, the dog bit him."
Justice Hayley Bennett accepted Cathy's testimony, describing her as an "impressive, highly credible" witness, and concluded that Rosa had made these disclosures regarding Peter's paternity. The judge deemed it unnecessary to legally characterize the encounter as rape.
Following his mother's disclosure, Peter initiated a family provision claim against Salvatore's 99-year-old widow, Angela, and sons Tony and Joe. He argued he was entitled to a portion of his father's estate under NSW family provision laws, which allow eligible family members to seek provision from an estate if it has not adequately provided for their maintenance and advancement in life.
Evidence presented in court suggested that the man who raised Peter was not his biological father. After learning the truth, Peter arranged a private DNA test with his brother Sam, which indicated they did not share the same father. The Napoli family contested the test's forensic value, but Justice Bennett accepted it, noting it was conducted by an accredited laboratory and that the Napoli family had opportunities to challenge it but did not.
Peter claimed he confronted Joe Napoli, who allegedly responded, "I am 99.9 percent sure he is" when Peter stated, "My mother told me that your dad is my dad." Justice Bennett accepted this conversation occurred.
The court also heard that Joe Napoli reportedly declined to undergo DNA testing due to concerns about the family's wealth. According to Peter, Joe said, "Not now. Whatever you do, can you do it after the sale of this place settles because I am worried that if I upset my brother Tony, he will rip me off."
A pivotal factor in the case was the refusal of both Joe and Tony Napoli to comply with court orders for DNA testing, without providing an explanation.
Court documents revealed that Peter's mental health declined after learning about his paternity, leading to two suicide attempts in 2024 and hospitalization. Justice Bennett acknowledged Peter's struggles, noting his mental health challenges, an acrimonious separation, and loss of contact with a son, while still finding him credible.
The estate's value, largely derived from the Napoli family's Orchard Hills landholdings, became a significant element. Properties linked to the family were sold to a developer in 2024 for nearly $72 million.
Tony Napoli, representing himself, his brother Joe, and their mother Angela, argued that Peter's claim was based on "bare paternity" as Salvatore had never publicly acknowledged him. Justice Bennett found that the brothers' refusal to undergo court-ordered DNA testing was a "calculated risk" and concluded that "the outcome of the DNA test would be unfavourable to them." The judge also expressed dissatisfaction with Tony Napoli's testimony, describing him as argumentative and combative.
Tony Napoli had also contended that Peter's claim was filed more than 20 years after Salvatore's death, recalling Peter asking him at his hospital bedside, "I just want to know if he was my father."
In her ruling, Justice Bennett stated she was satisfied Peter was Salvatore Napoli's son, citing Rosa's disclosures, Joe Napoli's alleged "99.9 per cent" remark, the brothers' refusal to submit to DNA testing, and the DNA evidence excluding the man Peter believed to be his father. The court awarded Peter Pronesti $975,000 from the estate, including $700,000 for housing, $200,000 for mental health and financial difficulties, and a $75,000 buffer.
The ruling legally recognizes Pronesti as Salvatore Napoli's son, entitling him to a significant portion of the estate.